EDITORIAL: Potential Utility of Local Anesthetics as Analgesics for Management of Postoperative Pain and Concerns about Adverse Effects on Developing Brain

Pain is a challenging health dilemma and has gained a great focus in clinico-pathological conditions correlated with post-operative, neuropathic and cancer pain. While perioperative administration of analgesics to mitigate the postoperative pain has been well established in the literature (termed preventive analgesia), preemptive analgesia or effects of any drug (such as anesthetics) prior to operation has been less highlighted [1]. It is important to note that adequate management of the pain either postoperative or neuropathic facilitates functional recovery, decreases financial burden (such as therapeutic costs), diminishes morbidity and improves quality of life of the patients. In this regard, there are emerging lines of evidences indicating that the use of local anesthetics not only potentiate the effects of analgesics but per se, exerts protective effects against the painful conditions [1-2].